Parents need to be aware of social media’s mental health effects on children

While social media can help kids stay connected with friends, research continues to show the amount of time children spend on social media can impact their mental health.

Most teens use social media and have a smartphone, and recent surveys show nearly half say they’re online almost constantly.

As social media use continues to grow, pediatricians and mental health experts say it’s more important than ever for parents to dial into their children’s life online.

What parents should know

Dr. Pallav Pareek, a child and adolescent psychiatrist with PeaceHealth, says it’s important parents be tuned in to their children’s social media tendencies and associated risks.

“There are a lot of pitfalls associated with social media,” he says. “And we as parents need to be aware of them.”

While social media provides a place where kids can access information and express themselves, it can also cause social isolation, Dr. Pareek says. “There are a lot of unrealistic expectations about happiness and seeing other people be happy, that causes a lot of depression and anxiety that has gotten worse.”

The U.S. surgeon general reports that up to 95% of kids ages 13 to 17 and almost 40% of children between the ages of 8 and 12 use social media.

Mental health, sleep effects

Social media is often referred to as the cigarettes of this generation. And like cigarettes, which were once thought to be healthy, Pediatrician Dr. Pilar Bradshaw says social media is now linked to poor mental health and lack of sleep in children.

“We know that having a phone in the bedroom is directly associated with kids not getting enough sleep,” she says. “If you’re on a screen for two hours before bed it really gets your brain

livened up and awake so it’s much harder to initiate sleep. Remember that kids brains are still developing so they need more sleep as teens than they will as adults.”

There can also be broader effects of time spent online, Dr. Bradshaw says. “A lot of social media use is associated with bullying and poor performance in school and having difficulties in personal relationships.”

Dr. Bradshaw strongly suggests docking your kids’ phones two hours before bedtime in another room of the house—not their bedroom—and have them use an alarm clock instead for their wake-up call.

Parental control applications are another option. They automatically shut down devices at a certain time, say from 8pm until 7am.

Importance of in-person interactions

Create tech-free zones and encourage children to foster in-person friendships and conversations.

“It isn’t important to post every single thing that ever happens in your life,” Dr. Bradshaw says. “What we know as pediatricians through research is what really sticks for a kid is the time spent engaged together.”

There is no substitute for in-person interactions, which are critical in helping kids learn.

“There’s so many things that we gain from in-person relationships,” Dr. Bradshaw says. “For one, it releases chemicals in our brain that make us happier. No. 2, it teaches young people important skills in interpersonal relationships like how to make eye contact, how to have an adult conversation.”

Young children especially need one-on-one communication instead of depending on virtual interactions, Dr. Bradshaw says. “For young kids, hearing language from an actual person stimulates their brain to grow the language centers much more effectively than language coming from a screen. And in addition, if we can all get off of our screens, we will benefit our kids by showing them how to live life in the present, instead of how to live an imaginary life in a screen.”

Ensuring safer behaviors

It’s important to recognize that there can be benefits from social media, such as providing access to information that might be unavailable elsewhere or giving a safe place to express oneself. But as in most things, there can be both positives and negatives. For example, overuse can lead to feelings of depression and isolation.

To help ensure your teen is following safer social media habits, here are five thingsyou can do:

• Never keep social media profiles public. Private accounts require an approval process to make sure your teen knows who can see and interact with their profile.

• Never post harmful or embarrassing content of someone else. Make sure your children understand that screenshots of private conversations or embarrassing photos or videos of another person can escalate into cyberbullying.

• Never treat social media as a ‘kids-only’ space. Take a look at your child’s social media feeds now and then.

• Never think that everything needs to be shared. Make a point to keep parts of life private and offline.

• Never avoid talking about social media with family. However you choose to approach the topic of social media, do it often and stay current about your children’s activities.

Dr. Pareek encourages parents to talk with their kids often about social media. Show them how to keep social media profiles private, and never post harmful or embarrassing content.

“These things will just stay on the internet forever,” he says. “You’re just sending it one time but it’s like a permanent bank that’s going to stay forever.”

If you are not well-versed in social media, take the time to learn. Read up on the platforms your children are using or watch YouTube videos on how these sites work.

Set an example

Also, just as it’s important to set an example for kids about good behaviors such as eating right, it’s up to parents to show them how to be responsible about time spent online.

“If you want your child to put that phone down, the first step is to work on a discipline of yourself as a parent and put your phone down,” Dr. Pareek says. “Then we have the authority to say it to the kids.”